Automatic laced inner belt for foundation garments



Jan. 26, 1943. v F. A. COHEN 2,309,501

AUTOMATIC LACED INNER BELT FOR FOUNDATION GARMENTS Filed April 2, n40

' INVENTOR' 12am? Aucakma Patented Jan. 26, 1943 AUTOMATIC LACED INNERBELT FOR FOUNDATION GARMENTS This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in an automatic laced inner belt for foundation garments.

The invention proposes a foundation garment having a body with avertically extending opening in the abdominal region, and elastic beltsections having their inner ends adjacent the edges of said opening andtheir outer ends attached to the material of the body. Moreover, theinvention contemplates a lace simultaneously securing the edges of theopening and the inner ends of the belt sections together. With thisarrangement it is possible to manipulate the tension of the lace tocontrol the opening and the elastic belt sections simultaneously.

Still further the invention contemplates to so construct the beltsections and the opening in the garment body that the construction maybe placed at various areas upon a foundation garment. The constructionmay be at the front of the garment or at the rear.

Still further the invention contemplates so arranging the constructionof the abdominal opening in the belt section that it may be applied tovarious types of foundation garments. It is proposed that theconstruction beapplicable to girdles, to foundation garments havingconnected brassieres, and to other types of foundation garments.

Still further the invention proposes an arrangement whereby the beltsections may be drawn in, or let out to vary the space relationship ofthe ends of the belt sections and the edges of the opening.

Still further the invention proposes to use the said lacing constructioneither at the front or back or both at the front and back of all type offoundation and like garments.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to the appended claim in which the variousnovel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a foundation garment equipped witha connected brassiere and constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a foundation garment similar to the oneillustrated in Fig. l

but constructed in accordance with a modifica- Fig. 7 is a horizontalsectional view taken on the line 'l'i of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. '7.

The foundation garment, in accordance with this invention includes afoundation garment body is: which may be made of any suitable fabric ormaterial and have a vertically extending opening it in the abdomenregion. Elastic bel sections l2 have their inner ends adjacent the edgesof the opening I! and have their outer rality of eyelets 15 arrangedalong the edges thereof. The adjacent edges of the belt sections i2 arealso reinforced with reinforcement strips it. These reinforcement stripsIt are provided with eyelets ll. The eyelets l5 and .l'! are arranged tobe adjacent each other so that a lace, for example the lace l8illustrated in Figs, 2 and 6, may be laced through the eyelets i5 and H.Then the opening II and the belt sections I! may be simultaneouslyclosed by drawing upon the lace i8 and typing the lace H8.

The foundation garment body, as illustrated in Fig. 1, is of thecorselette type. At the top it is provided with a brassiere portion It.This brassire portion comprises merely the front section of a brassiere(see Fig. 2) which is attached at its ends by the stitches is to thematerial of the belt l2 and the garment body Hi. The brassiere I9 isprovided with the usual shoulder straps 20. Along the bottom edge thegarment body it is provided with the usual garter supports 2!. Aninspection of Figs. 1 and 3 will disclose that the upper portions of thebelt sections I2 extend upwards of the bottom edge 19 of the brassierel9. Thus the belt sections assist in holding the orassiere down inproper position. Fig. 2 illustrates the lace I8 engaged through theeyelets I5 and H. The lace It has not been shown in Fig. 1 as it isbelieved that because of the small scale of this figure it would confusethe same.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a modified form of the inven tion has been disclosedwhich distinguishes from the prior form in the fact that the foundationgarment body I is provided with a rear opening II' in the abdominalregion, Elastic belt sections I2 have their inner ends adjacent theedges of the opening H and have their outer ends attached to thematerial of the body Ill by stitches I3. The edges of the opening II arereinforced with strips I4. These straps are provided with eyelets I5.The inner edge portions of the belt sections I2 are reinforced withstrips I6. These strips I6 are provided with eyelets II. A lace, such asthe lace I8, is intended to be laced through the eyelets I5 and I1 sothat the belt sections and the opening may be simultaneously closed.

The garment body I0 is provided with a bras rire section I9 havingshoulder straps 20. Garter supports 2| are arranged at the bottom of thegarment body I0. Each belt section I2 is provided with a means fordrawing in or letting out the inner edges thereof to vary the spacerelationship of the ends of the belt sections I2 in relation to theedges of the opening II'. Specifically, this means includes a verticallyextending fold 24 formed in the material of each belt section I2. Thesefolds 24 have eyelets 25 in each of the layers thereof arranged invertical rows. A lace 26 is laced through the eyelets 25. The lace 26may be drawn tight to hold the fold 24 completely closed. Then the beltsection is of its minimium size and its inner edge is disposed a maximumdistance from the edge of the opening II.

When desired the lace 26 may be loosened so that the fold 24 opens toany extent desired. This extends the length of the belt section. In thismanner the belt section may be extended to various points so that theeyelets I5 and I! are in various spaced relationships to each other. Alace is laced through the eyelets I5 and I! as described before. Withthis arrangement it is possible to vary the tension of the belt sectionsI2. It is intended that these belt sections I2 be of elastic material.Similarly, the material of the foundation garment Ill may also beelastic.

In Figs. 6 and 7 another embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.In accordance with this form of the invention the foundation garmentincludes a foundation garment body I0" of the girdle type. The front, orthe rear of this body I0" is formed with an opening I I at the abdominalregion. Elastic belt sections I2 have their inner ends adjacent theedges of the opening II and have their outer ends attached to the bodyI0" by stitches I3. The edges of the opening I I are reinforced withstrips I4 which have eyelets I5 mounted along their edges. The inneredges of the belt sections I2 are reinforced with strips I6 which haveeyelets I! mounted along their inner edges. A lace I8 is laced throughthe eyelets I5 and I7. Then this lace I8 is pulled tight and the openingII is pulled closed and simultaneously the sections of the belt aredrawn together. The garment body III" has the usual garter supports 2Ion its bottom edge.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claim,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

An automatic laced inner belt for foundation garments, comprising incombination a foundation garment body having a vertically extendingopening in the abdomen region, elastic belt sections having their innerends adjacent the edges of said opening and their outer ends attached onsaid body, eyelets along the free edges of said belt sections andopening for a lace by which the belt sections and opening may besimultaneously drawn together and closed respectively, and means foradjusting the length of said belt sections to vary the spacerelationship of the ends of the belt sections and the edges of saidopening, said means comprising a vertically extending fold in each beltsection, and means for holding the fold formed in the desired adjustedposition.

FRANK A. COHEN.

